page_title: 1994 Formula One World Championship
hierarchical_section_title: 1994 Formula One World Championship
caption_attribution_description: Gerhard Berger at the 1991 United States Grand Prix - Phoenix Arizona
context_page_description: The 1994 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 48th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1994 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1994 Formula One World Championship for Constructors, which were contested concurrently over a sixteen-race series that commenced on 27 March and ended on 13 November. Michael Schumacher won his first Drivers' Championship, while Williams-Renault won their third consecutive Constructors' Championship, the seventh in all for Williams.
  1994 was one of the most tragic and controversial seasons in the sport's history. The San Marino Grand Prix saw the deaths of Austrian rookie Roland Ratzenberger and three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna; while a number of other incidents throughout the season resulted in injuries to drivers, mechanics, spectators and a track marshal. The FIA subsequently made sweeping changes to the rules and regulations of F1 in an effort to improve safety.
context_section_description: The 1994 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 48th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1994 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1994 Formula One World Championship for Constructors, which were contested concurrently over a sixteen-race series that commenced on 27 March and ended on 13 November. Michael Schumacher won his first Drivers' Championship, while Williams-Renault won their third consecutive Constructors' Championship, the seventh in all for Williams.
  1994 was one of the most tragic and controversial seasons in the sport's history. The San Marino Grand Prix saw the deaths of Austrian rookie Roland Ratzenberger and three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna (details); while a number of other incidents throughout the season resulted in injuries to drivers, mechanics, spectators and a track marshal. The FIA subsequently made sweeping changes to the rules and regulations of F1 in an effort to improve safety. Schumacher won six of the first seven races, building a significant lead for himself in the Drivers' Championship and for Benetton-Ford in the Constructors' Championship; he was then disqualified from two races and banned from two more, Williams driver Damon Hill winning all four to reduce Schumacher's lead to a single point by the final race in Australia. There, Schumacher and Hill controversially collided while disputing the lead, handing the Drivers' Championship to the German. 1992 World Champion Nigel Mansell, returning to F1 after two seasons in CART, won the race to secure the Constructors' Championship for Williams.
  Forty-six drivers competed in the 1994 World Championship, including fourteen making their F1 debut, and numerous pay drivers. Mercedes-Benz returned to the sport for the first time since 1955, as an engine supplier to Swiss team Sauber. The season also saw the first win for Ferrari since 1990, whilst McLaren, following the departure of Senna, endured their first winless season since 1980. 1994 was also the final season for the original Team Lotus, one of the most successful constructors in Formula One history, as well as the last Formula One season for 1985 runner-up Michele Alboreto. 
  1994 was also marked the first-ever presence of Peugeot Sport as an engine manufacturer.
caption: Gerhard Berger of Scuderia Ferrari finished the season ranked third (Pictured driving for McLaren).
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